Electric indicator system.



s. R. STONE. ELECTRIC INDICATOR SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1909. RENEWED MAY Z, 1911.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

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,4 TTORNE Y8 S. R. STONE. ELECTRIC INDICATOR SYSTEM. APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1909. RENEWED MAY 2, 1911.

1,01 3,904; Patented Jan.9,1912.

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WITNESSES III/VENTOH 5251602 560216 BY j ATTORNEYS STUART RUTHERFORD STONE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC INDICATOR SYSTEM.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

Application filed May 3, 1909, Serial No. 493,522. Renewed May 2, 1911. Serial No. 624,670.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STUART R. STONE, a citizen of the United States, and aresident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Electric Indicator System, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to electric indicator systems, my more particular purpose being to provide a system which is especially suit able for use in large buildings, and provided with a number of separate circuits, each used in various ways and for different purposes, the arrangement being such that r id last-mentioi'ied circuits are, as far as L acticablc, independent of each other.

Broadly stated, my invention compre hends a plurality of alarms of various kinds each adapted to be energized from any one of a number of independent sources, some oi said a'larmsbeing energized in different ways, depending upon the character of the origin ot the alarm, all parts being so arranged that an alarm of any character from a given source need not necessarily disturb the co ditiou rendering possible the giving it nus other alarms of ditl'erent charnuinher o't said sources.

lvfiore particularly stated, my invention comprehends an electric alarm system especially suitable for use in connection with a large number of rooms and a single otlice common to all of said rooms, each room being provided with a push button or analogous device for sounding a call bell or other alarm in the oiiice, and each room being further pr rided with means controllable separately from such room. by a fire, or analogous disturbing iause, for the purpose of energizing anothe' alarm located in said office, the energizing of this alarm from any room, however, not disabling the calling apparatus as affecting other rooms.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specitication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both ngures.

Figure 1 is a diagram of my system, showing an annunciator, electrically connected with which is a fire gong and a call bell,

Speaking generally, all of the apparatus shown, except the three circuits appearing in the upper portion of each figure, is preferably located in an otfice, the three circuits just mentioned leading from the otlice to various rooms.

At 3 is a battery and at Lis acall bell of the continuous ring type.

At 5 is a continuous ring fire gong which differs mainly in size, power and electric resistance from the call hell 4.

At 6 are various annunciator magnets and those, with their associated parts, are exactly alike, only one need be described.

Above the annunciator magnet G is an armature 7 and connected with the latter is a spring 8 which normally keeps the armature raised, as indicated at the left and right of Fig. 1. The armature 7 is provided with an insulated hook 9 and is adapted to engage and disengage a contact point 10. A drop latch 11 is pivotally mounted adjacent to the armature 7 and is adapted to be tripped by the hook 9. as shown in the lower middle portion of Fig. 1. The drop latch 11 controls a drop shutter 12 which discloses to the operator in the office the fact that a particular circuit has been energized and consequently that a guest in a particular room is calling.

Below each magnet 6 is a movable armature 13 which is adapted to engage and disengage a contact llrll'lt 14. Wires 15, 16, 17 are connected together, the wire 15 leading from the battery ,3. Connected with the wire 17 is a wire 18 which leads to the magnet 6. A wire 19 alsocommunicates with this magnet and leads downwardly to-the armature 13. The contactpoint 141s in electrical communication with a wire 20. The contact point 10 is connected by a wire 21 with a wire 22, the latter joining a wire 23 which connects with a wire 24 leading to the battery A wire 25 is connected with the wires 23, 24 and also with a wire 26.

At 27 is a depressible key provided with a contact point 28, the latter being connect- 15 bell 4.

30 also with the relay magnet 41.

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ed by a wire 29 with the wires, 25, 26. The contact point 28 is connected-by a wire 30 with a coil 31, the resistance of which is very great This coil .is in series with a 5 grid 32 of fusible wire well known in this art for purposes of actuating certain kinds of fire alarms. The fusible grid 32 is connected by wires 33, 34 with the push button 27. A wire 35 is connected with the 1 wires 33, 3st and also with the magnet (i and wire 19 leading to the lower armature of the same. I A. wire 36 is connected with the wires l5, 16 at a point close to the battery 3 and a wire 37 connects the wire 36 with the call A wire 38 is connected with the wires 36, 37 and also with the fire gong 5.

Another wire 39 is connected with this fire gong-,3 the last mentioned wire leading to a contact point 40. v

A relay magnetAcl is provided with a pivotally mounted armature 42, the latter having a weight 43 tor maintai ing it in a predetermined position.

At ts is a contact arm which is adapted to drop upon the contact point 40, thus establishing connection between these parts. The contact arm 44 is connected by wires 45, i6, e7-with the wires 22, 23, 24. A wire is is connected with the wires d6, a7. and i A wire 49 connects this relay magnet with the wire 20.

, Connected with the various armatures 7 are wires 7%, 50, the latter being in communication with a wire 51 which leads to the call bell 4. Each. annunciator magnet 6 and the particular coil 31 in the distant room associated with the particular annunciator magnet in question, are so apportioned, as to resistance, that when all of thevarious parts are'-;'in their respective normal posi- ,tions, just enough current can pass through the coil 31 to energize the magnet 6 to an extent sufficient'to support the armature 13 out of engagement with its contact point 14, the normal strength of the currentthrough the magnet 6 being too weak, however, to pull down the upper armature7. Yet, when any one of the resistances 31 is cut out of circuit by depressing the push button 27 in the same room, the current passing through the-corresponding annunciator magnet 6 is increased to such an extent that this magnet readily draws down the upper armature 7 thereby tripping the 55 latch 11 and throwing the drop 12 associ- 459 other disturbing cause), so as to open the circuit through the coil 31, the corresponding annunciator magnet fl is deenergized and its lower armature 13 drops into engagement with itscontact point 1%.

The operation of my system is as follows:

I will suppose that my system has been installed in a hotel for the purpose of com bining a fire alarm and call bell system, and that the battery, the various annunciator magnets and their associated parts, the two call bells and the relay are all located in the clerks oilice, and that the three cir cuits appearing in the upper portion of the figures, lead away from the clerks ofiicc to the rooms of three different guests. W'e

will suppose, furthermore, that arious parts occupy their normal positions, as indicated, for instance, at the left of thetwo fl urcs. Suppose, now, that one of thevguestsl say the one associated with the middle one of the three circuits leading to the three rooms--wishes to attract the attention of the clerk in the hotel office. He thereupon depresses the key 27, as indicated in ,the upper middle portion of Fig. 1, thereby com pleting the following circuit: battery 3, wires 15, 16, 17 18, the particular annunciator magnet 6 corresponding to the room affected, wires 35, 34, key 27, contact point 28, wires 29, 26, 25, 2d back to battery 3. The completion of this circuit increases the flow of current through the annunciator magnet mentioned and causes it to pull downward its upper armature 7. The lower armature 13 is not moved, however, being already supported, as above stated, by the current normally passing through the corresponding coil 31 which is of high resistance. The armature 7 being drawn downward trips the latch 11 and throws the drop 12, thereby apprising the operator in the clerks ofiice of the identity of the room from. which the call is being made. The descent of the armature 7 completes the following circuit: battery 3, wires 15, 36, 37, to call bell 4:, wire 51, portion of wire 50, wire 7*, upper armature 7 of the particular annunciator magnet 6, contact point 10, wires 21, 22, 23, 24, back to battery 3. The circuit being thus completed through the call bell 4, the latter rings continuously so long as the depressible key 27 is held down by the guest.

The call made from any of the other rooms is identical in every respect with the one justdescribed, except that it energizes a different individual annunciator magnet 6 and parts associated. with such magnet. Practically speaking, the guest depresses a key, the call bell in the clerks office rings, and the particular shutter associated with the room from which the call emanates is thrown. No circuit leading to any other room is disturbed.

Suppose, now, that a fircbreaks out in the building and destroys one of the fusible rent to pass through the correspoiiding annunciator magnet 6 for the purpose of sus-- taining the lower armature 13 thereof, it necessarily follows that when one of the fusible grids 32 is destroyed the corresponding magnet 6 is totally deenergized so that its lower armature 13 drops as indicated in the lower central portion of Fig. 2. Under action of the fire in destroying the fusible grid, therefore, the following circuit is completed: battery-3, wires 15, 16, 17, 18, annunciator magnet 6, part of wire 35, wire 19, lower armature 13, contact member 14, a portion of wire 20, wire 49, relay magnet 4.1, wire 43, wires 47, 22, 23, 24, back to battery 3. The armature 13 having completed the circuit as just traced, causes the armature 7 to be instantly drawn down by the magnet 6.

vThe latch 11 is thus tripped, which in turn disengages the shutter 12 of that particular circuit only, thus indicating the room in which the fire is located. The call bell 4 is also energized in consequence of the action of armature 7, and will give a peculiar intermittent buzzing ring which within itself, denotes that there is a the somewhere in the building. Two distinct indications of the fire are thus given; one-being a visual indi cation referring to a particular room, the other being an acoustical indication of a more general nature. The relay magnet 41, also being energized through the action of a lure 13 as described, attracts its armaiL Z which releases the contact arm 44, and iie latter, by its own gravity, falls into engagement with the contact point where it remains, independently of whether the relay magnet 41 be afterward energized or not. This movement of thecontact arm 44 completes the following circuit: battery 3, wires 15, 36, 38, fire gong 5, wire 39, contact point 40, contact arm 44, wires 45, 46, 47 22, 23 and 24, back to battery 3. The circuit thus completed causes the fire gong 5 to ring. Since, however, the contact arm 44, being once in engagement with the contact member 40, is not raised out of engagement therewith, except by hand for the purpose of restoring the armature 44 to its normal position, the ringing of the fire gong 5 continues until stopped by hand. The particular grid 32 (see upper middle portion of Fig. 2) destroyed by fire, if afterward replaced by a new one, or repaired, enables the system to be re-set, so that everything occupies its normal position.

Suppose, now, that (see Fig. 2) a fire is in progress in one of the rooms so that the fusible grid 32 of that room (see. upper por tion of Fig. 2) has, been destroyed, thus causing the fire go ng to be actuated continuously, and that a guest in some other room wishes to ring the call bell. That is to'say, a guest occupying a room wishes to ring the call bell notwithstanding the fact that the fire gong is ringing. He merely depresses his key 27 and this completes the following circuit (which may be traced, for instance, at the left of Fig. 2): battery 3, wires 15, 16, 18, leading to the proper annunciator magnet 6, wires 35, 34, key 27 of the room affected, contact 28, wire 29, wire 25, wire 24, back to battery 3. The particular annunciator magnet 6 relating to the room from which the call proceeds, being thus energized, the drop 12 associated with this particular annunoiator magnet apprises the clerk of the call and moreover the call hell 4 is actuated by aid of the following circuit: battery 3, wires 15, 36,37, call hell 4, wires 51, 50, armature 7 (now drawn down), contact point 10, wires 21, 23, 24, back to battery 3. It-will thus be seen that the various annunciator circuits are in their action entirely independent'of each other in every sense, and also in a great measure independent of the havoc wrought by the fire, at least in the early stages thereof. The

drops are restored by hand as in other annunciators. It will be noted, however, that when in consequence of fire acting upon one of the fusible grids 32 the circuit through a particular annunciator magnet 6 is completely broken, so that the lower armature 13 of that magnet engages the corresponding contact point 14, the circuit completed by the drop of the armature 13 does not'remain complete, but is instantly broken by the raising of the armature 13 due to the energizing of the magnet 6 immediately over it. The drop of the armature 13 in consequence of the magnet 6 over it becoming deenergized, brings the armature 13 again into contact with the contact point 14, thereby completing the circuit again. This process continues indefinitely, the circuit through the magnet 6 being alternately opened and closed bythe vibrationsof the armature 13. Since, however, the relay magnet 41 has already drawn the armature 42 out of engagement with the contact arm 44 and the latter has already dropped, the intermittent pulsations of the circuit through the magnet 6 just described can have no effect upon the permanency of contact between the contact arm 44 and the contact point 40. It may happen that while the circuit through the fire gong 5 isclosed, 'a'person occup; ing the room in which the fire has destroyed the grid may desire to energize the call hell 4, To do this he merely presses the push button 27. In this event the call bell rihgs as under ordinary conditions,'due' to .closing' the circuit through magnet 6 as above described. I I

While for convenience I show my'invention as applied to the wiring inside of -a single building, as applicable to a combination fire alarm and call bell system, I do not limit myself thereby, for obviously the same system may be employed in connection With circuits used for various purposes, even though some of said circuits may extend away from the building Where the annunciator is located.

Having thus, described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An electric indicator system, comprising a source of electricity, an alarm circuit connected therewith and normally closed, said circuitincluding a magnetic member Which is normally-energized by current from said battery, said circuit further including a high resistance and also a member to be destroyed by fire or other disturbing cause, so as to open said circuit when said member is thus destroyed, means controllable by a person located at a distance from said magnetic member for the purpose of cutting out said high resistance and said member, thereby increasing the current flowing through said magnetic member, an armature associated with said magnetic member and adapted to be moved thereby when the current through said magnetic member is thus increased, and mechanism controllable by movements of said armature for the purpose of attracting the attention of an operator.

2. An electric indicator system, compris ing a source of electricity, a circuit connected therewith and including a magnetic memher, said circuit also including means controllableby a disturbing cause for opening said circuit, a high resistance, and mechanism controllable by an operator for cutting out said means and said high resistance, so

as to form a short circuitthrough said magnetic member, and mechanism controllable by said magnet for sounding an alarm.

The combination of an electricallyoperated member for giving an alarm, a plurality of circuits connected with said member tor the purpose of enabling any one of a number of distant operators to control said alarm, and a second alarm connected with all of said first-mentioned circuits and controllable by any one of said first-n'ientioned circuits, independently of whether the circuittor energizing said alarm be in use or not.

4. An electric indicator system, comprising an electrically-operated fire alarm, an electrically-operated call bell connected therewith, and a plurality of separate cir cuits each connected with said call bell and said fire alarm, each of said last-mentioned circuits containing a member to be acted upon automatically by tire for the purpose of causing said tire alarm to be energized, each of said circuits further including means controllable by an operator for energizing said call bell independently of said fire alarm.

5.111 an electric indicator system, the combination of a magnetic member, a plurality of armatures associated therewith and controllable thereby, one of said armatures being more sensitive than another in relation to the action oi said magnetic member upon it, a circuit connected with said magnetic member and normally closed, said circuit including a high resistance for the purpose of cutting down the current through said magnetic member, thus ailecting the more sensitive armature only and holding the same in a prmleicrinincd position, means included in said circuit and controllable by a disturbing cause for opening said circuit, thereby causing a movement of said more sensitive armatur", means controllable at will for cutting out. said high resistance in order to incriase the current through said magnetic men'ibcr, thereby causing the less scnsitire gsn'iature to be moved, and mecha nisms controllable by movements of said armatures respectively for actuating dillerent alarms or indicating devices.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence 0t two subscribing witnesses.

STUART RUTHERFORD STONE.

ll 'itncsses:

M. I. SToNn, P. A. Parse. 

